Automatic medicine-mixing and bottle-filling machine



No. 622,429. Patented Apr. 4, I899. A. B. HAZZARD.

AUTOMATIC MEDICINE MIXING AND BOTTLE FILLING MACHINE.

No. 622,429. Patented Apr. 4, I899. A. B. HAZZARD.

AUTOMATIC MEDICINE MIXING AND BOTTLE FILLING MACHINE.

' Aug. 6, 1898.)

(Applicahon filed (No Model.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

III

Patented Apr. 4, I899. B. HAZZARD.

AUTOMATIC MEDICINE MIXING AND BOTTLE FILLING MACHINE.

(Application filed Aug. 6, 1896.)

(No Model.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

WAi/IMZZ/WMIM;

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT B. HAZZARD, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

AUTOMATIC MEDICINE-MIXING AND BOTTLE-FILLING MACHINE SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 622,429, dated April 4, 1899.

Application filed August 6, 1898.

To o whom it may concern: v

Be it known that I, ALBERT B. HAZZARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Automatic Medicine-Mixing and Bottle- Filling Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the'art to which itappertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of my improved automatic medicine-mixing and bottle-filling machine. Fig. 1 is a top plan view of one of the agitating flights or blades employed in my machine for mixing or agitating the medicine prior to the filling of bottles with the same. Fig. 2 is a top plan view, somewhat enlarged, of the operating mechanism at the front end of the machine. Fig. 3 is a side elevational view, somewhat enlarged, of the front end of the machine as seen from the opposite side of the view shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a front elevational View. Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the bottlefiller. Fig. 6 is a similar view showing the bottle cooperating with said filler, in which the fluid is filling the bottle. Fig, 7 is a sectional view on line 7 7, Fig. 5, showing the cushion with which the mouth of the bottle cooperates. Fig. Sis a sectional view similar to Fig. 6, but taken at'right angles thereto, showing the manner in which air escapes from the bottle when the same is being filled; and Fig. 9 is a sectional view of the stem of the bottle-filler on line 9 9, Fig. 5.

This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in automatic medicine-mixing and bottle-filling machines, and particularly to that class in which the fluid is contained in a suitable receptacle, from which said fluid is taken and introduced into the bottle through a suitable valve,which I have termed the bottle-filler. This bottle-filler is practically automatic in its action in that when the mouth of the bottle contacts therewith said filler is elevated and the fluid enters the bottle until said bottle is filled, whereupon the bottle is removed, said removal permitting the closure of the filler. One feature of my invention resides in the construction of this bottle- Serial No. 6 87,904. (No model.)

filler, as I have termed it, and particularly in the buffer or cushion for the mouth of the bottle to prevent chipping or cracking of the same and at the same time to permit the escape of air from the bottle when the same is being filled.

- The apparatus shown in the drawings is designed to mix the ingredients, of difierent specific gravity, and in order to obtain a thorough admixture of such ingredientsthey are kept in constant agitation, and I also provide means for keeping up a circulation of said fluid to prevent the heavier particles from settling in any portion of the apparatus.

' In practice I have filled bottles with a mixture comprising iron, quinine, and simple syrup, three ingredients which will stratify if permitted to remain inactive. I therefore provide agitating-blades in the main tank or vessel, which blades constantly stir and mix the ingredients together. In addition to this I provide a pump which draws the mixture, say, from the bottom of the tank and forces it past a check-valve to the bottle-filler, an incident to which bottle-filler is an air cushion or chamber, beyond which air-chamber is arranged a pressure-regulating valve which exerts a pressure on the fluid to force the same through the bottle-filler when said bot-' tle-filler is open. In the event of the bottle filler being closed the fluid passes beyond this pressure-regulating valve into the tank and at a point above that from which it was taken. In this manner the fluid is kept in constant circulation through the pipes leading to the bottle-filler, and as pressure is exerted on the fluid the same is forced through the bottle-fillers when said fillers are in use.

Another feature of my invention therefore consists in providing means for causing a cir culation of the fluid through a pipe system, in which system is located the bottle-fillers; also, in providing suitable check-valves for causing this circulation to move in one direction; also, in the provision of a pressureregulating Valve for controlling pressure on the fluid above the bottle-fillers.

Other features of invention reside in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts, all as will hereinafter be described and afterward pointed out in the I claims.

In the drawings,A indicates a suitable tank in which fluid is placed, preferably through an opening or hopper B. This tank is supported on a suitable table or other support 0.

D indicates a shaft extending through the tank, which shaft carries flights or blades E, said blades being preferably convexed or V- shaped on their front faces, so as to shed or displace the material to each side thereof and into the path of an adjacent blade with a view of thoroughly mixing the fluid in the tank. Shaft D extends through the end wall of the tank and carries at its end a spurwheel F, with which meshes a pinion G, mounted on a counter-shaft g. Shaft 9 carries a tight and loose pulley H and H, respectively, and at its other end a disk I, on the crank-pin i of which is connected a pitman j, attached to a plunger (not shown) arranged in a cylinder J, into the bottom of which cylinder J leads pipe K from the bottom of tank A, in which pipe and between said tank and pump-cylinder is arranged a check-valve L, which opens toward the pump. A pipe M also leads from the bottom of tank A and preferably from the pipe K, which pipe M is controlled by a plug-valve m, which valve can be opened with a view of running off the contents of tank A for the purpose of cleaning said tank. The piston or plunger in the pump-cylinder J is solid, and when it rises draws the fluid through pipe K, past valve L, into cylinder J, and when said plunger descends valve L will close, and the fluid will be forced by the plunger to pass through a pipe N and beyond a check-valve N, which opens outwardly relative to said cylinder.

\Ve will assume for the present that the bottle-fillers are closed, in which event the fluid will be forced through a pipe 0, leading from and connected to pipe N into an aircushion or reservoir 0, which air-cushion or reservoir tends to cause an even flow of fluid through the pipes. Leading from pipe 0 at the bottom of the air-cushion or reservoir 0 is a pipe P, which enters tank A, above the fluid in said tank, in which pipe P is arranged a pressure-regulating valve Q. Pressure is exerted against this p ressu re-regulatin g valve Q through the medium of a spring, and the valve resists the passage of fluid therethrough.

Check-valves L and N are preferably gravitating flat valves, which are sensitive in action and afford little or no resistance to the passage of fluid.

Leading from the junction of pipes N and O is a pipe R, connecting with a pipe S, on which latter pipe are arranged the bottle-fillers. tle-fillers, I having shown but twoin the drawings, and preferably these bottle-fillers are placed a suflicient distance apart to give space to the operators to manipulate the bottles. The construction of these bottle-fillers is best shown in Figs. 5 to 9, wherein it will be seen that a suitable casing T is provided, into the There may be any number of these bot-- upper end of which enters the fluid. In the lower end of casing T is arranged a valveseat, with which cooperates a valve U, the stem of said valve U extending'downwardly through the casing and entirely filling the opening in the casing T. The lower end of stem U is somewhat enlarged to form a head a, from which depends a filling teat or nipple u'. Surrounding this nipple or teat is a rubber buffer or cushion V, which is held in place by a gland V, engaging the head a, said gland having an inwardly extending flange at its lower end. As shown in Fig. 7, a segment of buffer V is removed, leaving the space o,which is for the purpose of permitting the air to escape from the bottle, as shown by the arrows in Fig. 8. \Vere this buffer continuous, the mouth of the bottle would be sealed and the fluid could not properly enter, as is obvious.

Valve U and its associate parts are held in alower or normal position, in which said valve closes the opening of the bottom of easing T by means of spring U, bearing against the upper face of said valve. \Vhen a bottle is placed in position and pressure is exerted upwardly against valve U, the same is raised, so as to open ports :0 in its stem U to the fluid contents of the casing T, which ports communicate with an opening or bore extending down through the teat or nipple u. In Fig. 5 the parts are shown in their normal position, in which no fluid can pass through the teat, while in Fig.' 6 the bottle is shown in position and the valve U and its associate parts raised to open the ports as to permit the fluid to pass through the teat and fill the bottle.

When the filler is in operation, the fluid passes through the teat or nipple directto the bottom of the bottle, and as the bottle fills the air on top is forced out through the opening of the bottle at the top and escapes through the opening 4; of the buffer V to the atmosphere.

The operation of the device maybe briefly described as follows: The ingredients being placed in tank A and the belt thrust on tight, pulley H will cause the agitating-blades in said tank to thoroughly mix said ingredients and keep them in a constant state of agitation. At the same time the plunger of the pump will draw a supply of material from the bottom of the tank and force it into the top of the tank, thus keeping up a circulation of the fluid through the pipes. Any degree of pressure can be exerted on the fluid inthe bottlefillers by adjusting the compression of the spring behind the pressure-regulating valve Q. Then a bottle is filled through one of the bottle-fillers,the pressure-regulatin g valve affords a resistance to the entrance of the fluid back into the tank, and therefore the pump directs its energy to exerting the pressure on the fluid through the bottle-fillers, so that the bottles are quickly filled. The air-cushion or reservoir Orelieves the pressure in any sudden opening or closing of the bottle-fillers and prevents said fillers from hammering by reason of the pressure of the fluid thereabove.

I am aware that many minor changes in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of my device can be made and substituted for those herein shown and the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isv 1. The combination with a tank, of a shaft mounted to rotate therein, stirrer-blades mounted on said shaft for agitating and mixing the material in the tank, a pipe leading from the bottom of the tank to a pump, a pump, a pipe leading from said pump to the top of the tank for forcing a circulation of fluid through said pipes, bottle-fillers in communication with and receiving fluid from sai pipe, and means in said pipe interposed between said bottle-fillers and the tank for exerting a back pressure on the material in the bottle-fillers; substantially as described.

2. The combination with a tank, of a pump, pipes leading to and from said pump and connected with said tank, bottle-fillers in communication with, and receiving fluid from the return-pipe, and a pressure-regulating valve also arranged in said return-pipe between the point of communication of the bottle-fillers thereto and the tank, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a tank, of a pump, a supply-pipe leading from the tank to the pump, a return-pipe leading from the pump to the tank, check-valves in said return and supply pipes, bottle-fillers in communication with, and receiving fluid from the return-pipe beyond said check-valves, a pressure-regulating valve arranged in said return-pipe between the point of communication of the bottle-fillers thereto and the tank, and a reservoir or air-cushion arranged in said returnpipe between the point of communication of means for driving said the fluid in said tank, a cleaning-pipe M leading from K, a pipe N leading from the pump,

pipe 0 from the the bottle -fillers thereto and the pressurere ulating valve,

a substantially as described. 4:. The combination with a tank, of a pump, pump and agitating the bottom of the tank, a valve in said pipe, a pipe K leading from pipe M into the pump, a check-valve L arranged in pipe a checkvalve N arranged in said pipe, a pipe 0 rising from pipe N, a-reservo1r or air-cushion O on top of said pipe, a pipe Pleading from bottom of the reservoir or air-cushion O, and into the top of the tank, valve Q in pipe P, a pipe R leading from the unction of pipes N and O, and bottle-fillers which are fed by substantially as described.

5. The combination with a tank, of a pump, pipes leading to necting with said tank, a munication with and receiving fluid from the return-pipe, said bottle-filler comprising a suitable casing, a sprin g-pressed valve mounted in the lower end of the casing, a valvestem projecting through said casing carrying a teat on its lower end, an opening through said teat which communicates with the handle of the valve-casing when the valve is a buffer or cushion for the mouth of the bottle, which is mounted on the valvestem around the teat, and which is so formed as to permit the escape of air from the bottle, and a pressure-regulating valve arranged in the return-pipe between tion of the valve-casing of the bottle-filler. thereto and the tank, substantially as described,

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses, this 24thday of June, 1898.

ALBERT B. IIAZZARD.

Witnesses:

RALPH KALISH, HUGH K. WAGNER. 

